LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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Hollinger Corp. 
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METHODS OF REDUCING THE OOST OF 
PRODUCING BEET SUGAR. 



Bv 



C. O. TOWNSEND, 

Pathologist in Charge of Sugar-Bed Inrestigations, Bureau of Plant InduMry. 



[Reprint from Yearbook of Dkpakt.mext of Agriculture for 1906.] 



4878 07 WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1907 



CONTENTS. ^ 

J^L^ 

^'' /> Page. 

.'tntroduction 265 

The improvement of the beet 266 

Increasing the size of the beet .• 266 

Increasing the sugar content 267 

Cost of growing beets 268 

Land values. - - . 268 

Cost of labor 269 

Amount of labor _ 270 

Sources of labor 270 

Reducing the cost of labor 274 

Summary 278 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PLATES. 

Page. 
Plate XIII. Fig. 1. — Polish women thinning lieets. Fig. 2.— Belgian method 

of topping beets : 274 

XIV. Fig. 1. —Power hoe that may be utilized in blocking and hoeing 

sugar beets. Fig. 2. — Siloing sugar beets for the factory 274 

TEXT FIGURES. 

Fig. 6. Laborers' houses, one to each acre tract 273 

7. A portable house used in solving the labor problem in some parts of 

the sugar-beet area 274 

SEP <58 1907 



^ 
i 



METHODS OF REBICING THE ( OST OF PRODK ING 
BEET SI OAK. 

By CO. Town SEND, 
Pathologist in Charge of Sugar-Bect Investigations, Bureau of I'lunl Industry. 

INTRODUCTION. 

The first refined beet-root sugar produced in commercial quantity 
was made about one hundred years ago, at a cost of approximately 80 
cents a pound. The cost of producing cane sugar was then somewhat 
higher than that of beet sugar. The amount of raw sugar extracted 
from the beet at that time varied from 4 to 6 per cent, and the amount 
of refined sugar obtained was from 1 to 2 per cent of the weight of the 
beet. The cost of producmg an acre of beets was estimated at approx- 
imately $35, while the yield was from 6 to 25 tons per acre. "\^Tien 
it is considered that upward of 15 pounds of refined sugar can be 
obtained at retail to-day for the original cost of manufacturing 1 pound 
of beet sugar it must be realized that many improvements have already 
been made in the quality of the beet, in cultural methods, and in factory 
operations, all of which have tended to reduce the cost of the fuiished 
product. 

The advances that have been made in cultural methods have been 
offset to a very great extent by the increased cost of labor in this coun- 
try, so that the actual reduction in the cost of producing beet sugar 
has been due to the improvement of the beet or to less expensive oper- 
ations in extracting and refuimg the product. It appears, therefore, 
that there are three avenues through which the cost of producing beet 
sugar may be increased or diminished. This article will deal only 
with those methods for reducing the cost of beet sugar which bear 
directly or indirectly upon the improvement and production of the raw 
material — the sugar beet — while the questions connected with extract- 
ing and refining the sugar will be left to the sugar chemist and to the 
sugar engineer. 

In this connection it ma}' not be out of place to mention the possi- 
bilities of utilizing to greater advantage the bj'^-products of the beet- 
sugar factor^". The first beet-sugar factory built (1S05) manufactured 
raw sugar, wine, spirits, and vinegar. After several years of successful 
operation, the owner of this factory stated that if the sugar paid only 
for operating the factory the enterprise would still be a success. He 
further reported that the utilization of the beet leaves and pulp 
enabled him to double the number of cattle on his farm, and the 

265 



266 YEAEBOOK OF THE DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 

manure thus produced greatly increased the yield of his wheat. 
Stockmen are rapidly coming to understand the value of beet pulp as 
a cattle food, while the possibilities of manufacturing alcohol, fusel oil, 
vinegar, fertilizers, etc., from the refuse molasses have already been 
demonstrated. It may be that the ever-increasing demand for 
cheaper sugar, and the constantly advancing possibilities of utilizing 
the by-products, may eventually place the manufacture of sugar in that 
. class of industries in which the factories are operated for the sake of the 
by-products. However, that time is far distant, and if the onward prog- 
ress of this new industry is to be maintained the manufacture of sugar 
for sugar's sake must be fostered. 

THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE BEET. 

INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE BEET. 

One of the most promising lines along which the cost of producing 
beet sugar may be reduced, so far as the question relates to the raw 
material, is that of the improvement of the beet. When one examines 
the wild beet and notes that the roots weigh but a few ounces each, 
he can not help wondering at the large tonnage that was sometimes 
produced early in the nineteenth century, when accordmg to pub- 
lished reports the yield frequently reached 25 tons of roots per acre. 
It is true that the average yield was much below this point, but it 
undoubtedly compared very favorably with the present average yield 
of beets in this country, which according to obtainable figures is from 
8 to 10 tons per acre. It would appear, therefore, that little progress 
has been made along this line. That the individual roots of the culti- 
vated beet are larger than those of the wild beet there is no question; 
but it would seem from a study of comparative yields that the larger 
the root the fewer the beets which can be produced per acre. This is 
undoubtedly true within certain limits; but, after the most satisfac- 
tory relation between the number of beets per acre and the size of the 
beets has been determined, there are three methods by which the yield 
of beets per acre may be increased without diminishing the percentage 
of sugar in the beet: (1) By improved cultural methods; (2) by the 
use of fertilizers ; and (3) by selection. 

In regard to cultural methods used with sugar beets our foremost 
agriculturists do not agree. They are unanimous, however, in regard 
to the importance of early thinnmg. Undoubtedly many tons of 
beets are lost to the farmers and to the factories annually by delaying 
this important operation. In the use of other cultural methods we 
are constantly gaining new information through our experiments and 
through the growers' experience, which must eventually result in an 
increased tonnage of beets. 

Thorough cultivation can not be too strongly emphasized as a factor 
in producing good sugar beets. It is a common saying among the 



REDUCING THE COST OF PRODUCING BEET SUGAR. 267 

Germans that ''the sugar must be hoed iulo tlie lieet." ^Miile it is 
true that the sunshine and the air are the principal factors in sugar pro- 
duction, the cuUivator and the lioe are important aids in keeping the 
beet vigorous and active. At no time in its life should a beet be allowed 
to cease growing, for if it once becomes stunted it is doubtful whether it 
will ever make as good a beet as it would have been under conditions 
of continuous growth. 

Numerous experiments have been conducted hj the United States 
Department of Agriculture, by the State experiment stations, and by 
growers to determine the proper relation between fertilizers and the 
sugar-beet crop. "Wliile there is still much to be learned in regard to 
fertilizers, there can be no doubt about the benefit to be derived from 
their judicious use with sugar beets. t 

The rotation of crops is an important matter in the growing of sugar 
beets, and while the rotations must necessarily vary in different locali- 
ties there should always be some green crop ui the rotation, preferably 
a legume, that can be plowed under to furnish humus and to supply at 
least a part of the nitrogen. 

Having done everything possible by means of cultural methods and 
by the use of fertilizers of different kmds, there are still promising 
possibilities in the selection method. By this process, in which experi- 
ments are already under way in the Bureau of Plant Industry, it is 
proposed to select for seed production large beets rich m sugar, and 
b}' repeated selection and crossing to produce a strain of beets that 
will greatly increase the yield without any decrease in the sugar con- 
tent of the beets. The results should be a much larger quantity of 
sugar per acre without any increase in the cost of production. 

increXsing the sugar context. 

Another possibility of improving the beet is to increase its sugar 
content. If this is done, even without mcreasing the size of the beet, a 
greater yield of sugar per acre may be obtained. When the percentage 
of sugar obtained from the beet a century ago is compared with the 
present sugar content of our cultivated beets, it is seen that much 
progress has already been made in improving the beet in this direction. 
A comparison of the average percentage of sugar actually obtained 
from the beet with the high sugar content of the best samples indi- 
cates that there is still opportunity to greatly increase the average 
sugar content of our beets. 

If a largely mcreased yield of beets is combmed with a much higher 
sugar content it is entirely possible to obtain three times as much sugar 
per acre as is produced on an average at the present time. For 
example, the present average yield of beets per acre in the United 
States is about 10 tons, and the percentage of sugar actually extracted 
and refuied does not exceed 12, making the average yield of sugar per 



268 YEAEBOOK OP THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

acre approximately 2,400 pounds. Yields of more than 30 tons of 
beets per acre are sometimes obtained, and yields of more than 20 tons 
are common. From 20 to 25 per cent of sugar in the beets has been 
reported so frequently that it is safe to assume that an average sugar 
content of 18 per cent is within the limits of possibility. If an average 
yield of 20 tons per acre and an average sugar content of 18 per cent 
could be reached, we would have an average yield of 7,200 pounds of 
sugar per acre. If this could be realized without increasing the cost of 
growmg the beets, it should be entirely possible for the grower to 
furnish the raw material to the factory at a somewhat lower cost than 
is at present practicable. This is the fhst important step toward 
reducing the cost of sugar production. 

One of the most important factors m producing a beet rich in sugar 
is the proper selection of beets for seed production. This is the seeds- 
man's problem, and is, under the present methods of beet-seed>produc- 
tion, entirely outside the province of the grower of factory beets. 
However, the sugar content of beet roots depends to a very great 
extent upon the soil and climatic conditions. For example, in 1903 
the Bureau of Plant Industry planted several varieties of sugar-beet 
seed on the Arlington Experimental Farm, near Washington. This seed 
was produced from beets that tested from 16 to 18 per cent of sugar. 
The beets grown from the seed tested in no case more than 12 per cent 
of sugar, and nearly all the samples tested less than 10 per cent. 
These beets were sent to Utah and planted for seed in 1904. The 
beets grown m 1905 from the seed produced from these roots tested 
16 to 17 per cent of sugar. It will be seen, therefore, that while the 
beet still possessed the tendency to produce a high sugar content, the 
soil and climatic conditions m the vicinity of Washington, D. C, in 
1903 kept the sugar production too low for, practical purposes. 

If the climatic conditions in any locality appear to be unfavorable 
for sugar-beet production, it is not advisable to undertake to grow 
sugar beets on a commercial scale until a beet has been developed by 
selection or otherwise that is adapted to that particular locality. It 
has been found that clay loams and sandy loams are very satisfactory 
for sugar-beet production, provided other conditions are favorable; 
but more depends upon the physical condition of the soil and upon 
methods of cultivation than upon the particular kind or variety of soil 
used. The soil should be well supplied with humus and well drained. 

COST OF GROWING BEETS. 

LAND VALUES. 

In considering the methods by which beet sugar may be produced 
at a smaller cost so far as the raw material is concerned, there are 
certain factors which tend to increase rather than to diminish the cost 
of production. One of these is the increase of land values. During 



KEDUCING THE COST OF PRODUCING BEET SUGAR. 269 

the past decade there has been a remarkable advance in the price of" 
farming lands, especially in those localities whore beet-sugar factories 
are in successful operation. These lands have become more valuable 
not only because they produce large quantities of sugar beets, but 
because there is a ready market for the crop and because other valu- 
able crops form with the sugar beets a very satisfactory rotation. 
There are tl^ousands of acres of good farming lands where sugar beets 
maybe grown with profit as soon as sugar factories are constructed. 

Five 3^ears ago the land in a certain valley in Utah was offered for 
sale at $20 an acre. Since that time a sugar factory has been built, 
and from 6,000 to 8,000 acres of sugar beets are grown in that valley 
annually, bringing to the owners a return of S75 and upward per 
acre. As a result, practically none of the land is for sale at the pres- 
ent time. If by force of circumstances a tract of this land changes 
hands, the price obtained is $100 or more per acre. 

In some parts of Colorado sugar beets, potatoes, and alfalfa form a 
rotation series to which small grains are sometimes added. "\A'Tien it 
is realized that potatoes often yield from 600 to 800 bushels per acre 
and sugar beets upward of 20 tons per acre, it is not surprising that 
this land is held at several hundred dollars per acre; and it ma}^ 
be stated that in none of the sugar-beet areas is the price of land 
decreasing. 

•k The theory that sugar beets will ruin the land has long since l)een 
exploded. The best crops of sugar beets and other farm products 
are found on many of the farms wher«» sugar beets have been grown 
longest. This is in part due to the fact that good farmers have become 
better farmers through their experience in growing beets. Proper 
rotation of crops, good cultivation, and the judicious use of fertilizers 
are the factors that keep the land in good condition and enable farmers 
to obtain the highest possible returns for the labor and money in- 
vested. The situation in regard to land values, so far as the}' relate 
to sugar beets, may be stated as follows: Inasmuch as sugar beets 
require the best quality of soil and demand that it shall be in the 
highest state of cultivation to produce the best results, sugar beets 
must remain a comparatively high-priced crop, and any attempt to 
reduce theii' price must result either in producing an unsatisfactory 
crop or in eliminating sugar beets from the system of crop rotation 
in many localities. 

COST OF LABOR. 

Another factor which up to the present time has had a tendency 
to increase rather than to diminish the cost of sugar-beet production 
is the cost of labor. The price of farm labor, like land values, has 
increased materially within the past few years. This is especially 
true of hand labor for thinning, pulling, and topping beets. In view 
of the greatly increased cost within the past decade of nearly all the 



270 YEARBOOK. OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

necessaries of life, and with every indication that the cost of hving 
will not be materially reduced in the near future, it can not reasonably 
be expected that farm wages will be appreciably lowered within the 
next few years, at least. It is clear that the increased cost of labor 
thus far has had a tendency to increase rather than to decrease the 
cost of beet sugar. 

AMOUNT OF LABOR. 

Another phase of the labor question should be considered in this 
connection, and that is the amount of labor required in growing an 
acre of beets in order to obtam the greatest profit from the crop. The 
average cost of growing and harvesting beets at present is estimated 
to be approximately $30 per acre. It would undoubtedly be poor 
economy to lessen the cost of growing beets by reducing the amount 
of labor per acre under the present conditions. There are some indi- 
cations that a still larger expenditure of labor upon the crop would 
produce a much greater return. For example, several years ago one 
of the leadmg agricultural papers of this country offered a series of 
prizes for the best crop of sugar beets to be grown under certain con- 
ditions. One of the winners produced approximately 30 tons of 
beets on an acre of ground. The total cost of growing this acre of 
beets was nearly $60. A little reflection will show that a much 
larger profit per acre was obtained in producing 30 tons of beets on^ii^ 
given area at an outlay of $60 per acre than would have been made 
b}^ spendmg $30 m growing the present average tonnage on the same 
area. From this and other examples that might be cited, the conclu- 
sion is obvious that the production of sugar per acre may be increased 
by increasing the amount of labor per acre in growing the beets. 

SOURCES OF LABOR. 

The question of obtaming a sufficient number of the right kind 
of laborers to grow the sugar-beet crop has become one of the most 
complex and at the same time one of the most important problems 
in connection with the sugar-beet industry in nearly all the beet 
areas in this country. Scarcity of labor has an important bearing 
upon the cost of sugar production in several ways, but especially in 
delaying the work and in leaving certain operations undone, thereby 
reducing the yield of sugar per acre. 

In some localities no difficulty is experienced in obtainmg a suffi- 
cient number of suitable laborers throughout the season, especially 
in those sections where the farms are small and the country is thickly 
settled with good farmers. Under these circumstances the individual 
farmer is usually found growing a small acreage of beets — frequently 
not more than from 3 to 10 acres — which he is able to care for with 
his own family, with possibly some assistance now and then from his 
neighbors. In this way beets are grown more satisfactorily as 



EEDUCING THE COST OF PRODUCING BEET SUGAR. 271 

regards labor than in any other. In most of our sugar-beet sections, 
however, it is necessary to depend to a greater or less extent upon 
outside help. Just how this labor is to be secured, how it is to be 
retained throughout the season, and how it can be made a iiermanent 
factor in the sugar-beet industr}^ are problems upon the correct 
solution of which the future of the beet-sugar industry depends to 
a very great extent. Efforts are being made to work out these 
problems in the various localities where help is needed; and, while 
the conditions in the different sections are not identical, a brief 
review of some of the important methods used may be helpful. 

In the ]\Iiddle and Eastern States, and in some of the Western 
States, a large part of the labor in connection with sugar beets 
must be done during the summer, at which time a large number of 
pupils and teachers from the public schools are available for the 
work. Many growers take advantage of this fact, and hundreds 
of school children are emplo5^ed annually in thinning, weeding, and 
hoeing beets. In some localities the teachers, both men and women, 
spend a part of the long vacation in the beet fields, much to their 
advantage physically as well as financially. Wlien this kind of labor 
can be employed it is generally satisfactory, and improves from season 
to season with the experience gained. Unfortunately there is not 
enough of this kind of labor to supply the demand, and in a few 
localities it is reported unsatisfactory. 

If the sugar-beet area is located near one or more large cities a 
considerable portion of the temporary labor comes from that class 
of city residents who have no permanent employment and who arc 
willing to go out and work in the fields. This is especialh' true of 
certain members of the foreign population, both men and women, 
who often make excellent farm hands. Most of these laborers 
insist upon returning to theu" homes in the city at the close of the 
day. Numerous instances might be cited of Polish women who 
walk from 2 to 4 miles in the mornmg in order to do their day's 
work of thinning, hoeing, or topping beets, or other farm work 
that their employer may require. (PI. XIII, fig. 1.) At the close of 
the day they walk back to their homes only to repeat the same 
operation the next day and each day tln-oughout the season. Some 
of the employers state that this is the best class of labor that they 
are able to obtain on their farms. 

Some of the laborers become very skillful at this kmd of work; 
others were familiar with it before coming to this country and depend 
from the first upon finding employment of this kind. However, 
many of these laborers are seeking permanent emplopnent in the 
factories and other enterprises in the city, so that this class of farm 
labor is in constant danger of depletion. At best this kind of labor 
is limited by the number of people who are willing to go out from 



272 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPAKTMENT OE AGEICULTURE. 

the city and do work of this kind, and also by the small number of 
farmers who are near enough to the city to allow the laborers to 
return home at the close of the day. If some of the farmers living 
farther away from the city could induce some of these families to 
become permanent residents of the rural districts it would undoubt- 
edly be mutually beneficial in many cases. Various methods are 
being used in different places to accomplish this result. In one sec- 
tion where labor is scarce the officials of the sugar company sug- 
gested that each farmer build at least one tenant house for the ac- 
commodation of some of the labor required. The farmers are acting 
upon this suggestion, and undoubtedly within a few years this com- 
munity will be well supplied with good labor. 

It is well known that many families, especially those of foreign 
birth, hesitate about going into the country for the reason that they 
would, in a way, become practically isolated from their countrymen. 
In order to overcome this difficulty and at the same time to solve 
the labor problem for the sugar-beet industry, several sugar com- 
panies have purchased large tracts of land and have offered various 
inducements to laborers to settle upon the land in colonies. For 
example, one sugar company divided its land into small farms of 40 
acres each, which were sold at a low price on easy terms. The only 
requirement was that the purchaser should grow a small acreage of 
sugar beets for at least two years, upon the presumption that if beets 
were grown for two years the purchaser would be a permanent 
grower. This plan, which was started four years ago, worked out 
satisfactorily. All the land was sold and each year upward of 6,000 
acres of sugar beets are grown for the near-by factory. 

In another sugar-beet section the sugar company has divided its 
land into small farms, which it has equipped with the necessary stock 
and tools and on wliich it has built comfortable houses. These places 
are rented to farmers, who are growing small areas of sugar beets. 
This plan is working satisfactorily for the sugar company and, like the 
preceding method, is of inestimable benefit to many families desirous 
of becoming independent citizens. 

Still another sugar company has set apart a portion of its land with 
a view; to forming a Russian colony. This land is divided into acre 
tracts, and a small house is built on each tract. Figure 6 shows 
four of these houses ; that is, the two buildings shown consist of two 
houses each, placed side by side. These houses are rented to Russian 
families with the definite understanding that when a family has 
worked for the company a given number of years a deed for the house 
and lot will be given to that family. This plan is of comparatively 
recent origin, and the effect that it will have upon the solution of the 
labor question is still problematical. If there is any disadvantage in 
this plan over the preceding ones it undoubtedly lies m the fact that 



REDUCING THE COST OF PRODUCING BEET SUGAR. 



273 



the tract of land is not large enough to support a family; hence, the 
workers must seek employment on other farms, necessitating tht 
expenditure of considerable time and energy in getting to and from 
their work. 

In the same community another plan has been adopted wliich 
promises good results. The important point, the nucleus of this plan, 
is a portable house. The outfit, as shown in figure 7, consists of 
a farmer's handy wagon, the wheels of wliich are 28 inches in diameter 
and have a 5-inch tread. The construction of the house is shown in 
the cut. The outfit consists of a laundry stove, cooking utensils, 
woven-wire foldmg cots, mattresses, and blankets. Each house will 
accommodate from two to five workmen, and costs about $75. The 
laborers occupying one of these houses contract to do the hand work 
for several beet growers at a price ranging from $18 to $21 per acre, 
depending upon the number of hoeings, etc., included in the contract. 




mf^imwt 



Fig. 6. — Laborers' houses, one to each acre tract— one mpthod of solving the labor question in grow- 
ing sugar beets. 

The agreement is that when they have finished one operation, such as 
thinning, for one farmer, he will take his team and haul the house to 
the next farm. This house is portable, not only in the sense that it is 
on wheels, but also from the fact that it is capable of being taken 
down and shipped on the cars. In tliis way it is easily shifted about 
from community to community, to the place where it is most needed. 
The laborers using these houses are mostly Belgians, who seem to 
be ver}^ satisfactory in the beet fields in most instances. The}^ are 
tireless workers, and when employed by the acre often utilize every 
moment of dajdight in caring for the beets under their contract. 
Their method of toppmg beets, as shown in Plate XIII, fig. 2, is one 
that seems to be peculiar to themselves, and is very rapid. The beets 
are pulled and thrown m rows, with the tops all one way, and then in a 
bent position, as shown in the illustration, the laborers go up and down 
the rows, cutting off the tops and throwing the beets into piles. The 
two brothers shown in the illustration were photographed in 1904 



274 



YEAEBOOK OF THE DEPARTMEI^T OF AGRICULTUKE. 



while working on one of their contracts. This year ( 1 906) they rented 
40-acre farm and are growing their own beets. It is safe to predict ths 
within a few years they will be landowners and employers of labor. 

In still other communities large numbers of Japanese are employed f o 1 
sugar-beet work. For a given community the Japanese are usuall; 
contracted for through their leader, who agrees under bond to furnisl 
so many laborers for the hand work at some stipulated price. Thi; 
price is about the same in all the sugar-beet sections — $20 per acre 
This army of laborers, often consisting of several hundred under onel 
contract, may be, and usually is, divided into smaller squads, which 
are sent to the various fields where they are needed. They usually 
form a camp in which they live by themselves. Under the direction 
of a competent foreman they are capable of doing excellent work, but 




Fig. 7. — A portable house used in solving the labor problem in some parts of the sugar-beet area. 

they sometimes become careless and trifling, in spite of everything 
that may be said or done. 

Many growers in the West speak very highly of the Chinese as labor- 
ers in the sugar-beet fields, but owing to our present immigration laws 
they are necessarily very scarce, this being especially true of the 
younger and more active members of the race. 



REDUCING THE COST OF LABOR. 



The high price of labor, as well as its scarcity, has acted as an incen- 
tive to change the structure of beet seed and devise other means 
whereby sugar beets may be grown with less hand labor. While 
it has been shown that all the labor performed in producing a 
crop of beets is necessary in order to obtain the best results under 
present conditions, it may be possible to perform one or more of these . 
various operations in some other manner with just as good or even 
better results than at present and at less expense. For example, the 
production of single-germ beet seed is but a method of thinning beets 
before the seed is planted. 



Yearbook U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1906. 



Plate XIII. 




1. "l—^.* 




F,G. 1 .—Polish Women Thinning Beets. 




FiQ. 2.— Belgian Method of Topping Beets. 



Yearbook U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1 906. 



Plate XIV. 




Fig. 1.— Power Hoe that may be Utilized in Blocking and Hoeing Sugar Beets. 




Fig. 2.— Siloing Sugar Beets for the Factory. 



REDUCING THE COST OF PRODUCING BEET SUGAR. 275 

Production of single-germ seed. — Commercial beet seed con- 
sists for the most part of from two to seven individual seeds welded by 
nature into one mass. It is evident that plants pro(hiced from such a 
mass of seeds must necessarily be very close together, and thus far no 
mechanism has been devised whereby the plants can be properly 
thinned. It is clear, therefore, that if we expect to do away with the 
hand thinning of our sugar beets it can probably be accomplished only 
by changing the construction erf the seed ball, either naturally or 
artificially, so that "there will be but one germ in each ball. Repeated 
efforts have been made to break up the seed balls by passing them 
through various forms of rollers and grmders so that each seed could 
be planted by itself. The seed coats are so hard that any device that 
has been tried thus far that will crush or break the seed ball breaks a 
large number of the seeds and renders them useless. 

An effort is being made by the Bureau of Plant Industry to produce 
a single-germ beet seed by selection. The results of this work up to 
the close of last season (1905) are reported in Bulletin No. 73 of the 
Bureau of Plant Industry, in which it is shown that the percentage of 
single-germ seeds has been increased from less than 2 to upward of 25 
per cent.*^ In the light of the advance that has already been made it is 
reasonably safe to assume that this object will finally be accomplished 
by this means. After a plant possessing single-germ seed balls has 
been produced it will necessarily be a number of years before a suffi- 
cient quantity of this seed can be produced so that it can be used 
connnerciall}^. 

Thinning. — Meantime, as the industry grows, there will be an ever- 
increasing demand for hand labor for thinning the beets. Many 
growers have not yet learned the importance of early thinning, and 
consequently they try to do the work with an insufficient force, letting 
this operation, which should be done within a few days, extend over a 
period of several weeks, much to the detriment of the yield and con- 
sequently to the returns from the crop. 

Hoeing. — The number of hoeings given a crop of sugar beets varies 
from two to five. A single hoeing is much less expensive than the 
single operation of thinning or of harvesting, but the total number of 
hoeings, if properly done, will cost more than either of the other opera-, 
tions. It is important, therefore, that something be done to reduce 
the cost of hoeing sugar beets. As already pointed out, it would be 
poor economy to reduce the cost of hoeing beets by giving them a 
smaller number of hoeings or by doing the work less thoroughly. On 
the other hand, there are indications that better beets could be grown 

a Since this paper was wi-itten the single-germ seeds produced in 1906 have been 
separated and counted, and it is found that several of the plants yielded upward of 
49 per cent of single-germ seeds. A large number of the plants produced more than 
30 per cent. 



276 YEARBOOK OP THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

if more attention were given to this phase of sugar-beet culture. If 
anything is to be gained over the present method of hoeing beets it 
must be by means of a machine that will do the work more thor- 
oughly or at a lower cost per acre. A power hoe has recently been 
invented and successfully used in the cotton fields. Although not 
yet tried in connection with sugar beets, it would seem from its con- 
struction that it could be used to considerable advantage in the beet 
fields. This hoe consists of a metal disk which may be forced into the 
ground to any desired depth, and is made to rotate rapidly in a plane 
parallel to the surface of the* ground. The power that causes the 
disk to rotate is furnished by a gasoline engine, while the movement 
around the plant is guided by the human hand, as shown in the illus- 
tration. (See PI. XIV, fig. 1.) It is claimed for this machme that 
from five to six times as much work can be done per day with one 
of these hoes as can be done by the same man with a hand hoe. If 
this particular implement is not adapted to sugar-beet work it will 
doubtless lead to something whereby artificial power may be used in 
blocking and hoeing STigar beets. 

Cultivating. — Several cultivations are necessary in the growing 
season. The number of cultivations and the depth and distance 
from the beets that the teeth of the cultivator should operate are 
moot questions among agriculturists. It is agreed that different 
conditions require different treatments, and hence the expense of culti- 
vating beets must depend somewhat upon soil and weather conditions. 
However, the single cultivator has given way to a great extent to the 
two-row cultivator, and recently a four-row cultivator has been 
devised and put in operation, so that the cost of each cultivation is 
greatly reduced. The initial cost of the four-row cultivator is greater 
than that of a single-row cultivator, but the additional outlay is soon 
made up if there is a considerable acreage of beets to be cared for. 

Harvesting. — Harvesting sugar beets consists of three distinct 
operations, viz, lifting, pulling, and topping. For many years lift- 
ing or loosening the beets has been done by horse power. In some 
parts of the West steam power is now being used for this purpose. 
Two kinds of lifters are in general use, one consisting of a side plow, 
which passes along one side of the beet row and loosens each beet by 
pressing slightly against it and at the same time plowing it up. The 
other form might be described as a plow with two points or shoes, so 
arranged that as they pass along on either side of the beet row each 
individual beet is caught between the points and lifted slightly, so that 
it is left perfectly loose in the ground. The beets must then be pulled 
and topped by hand. 

Many forms of beet harvesters have been constructed, but none 
has come into general use. It is the aim of the inventor of the 
beet harvester to perform the three operations at the same time. 



REDUCING THE COST OF PRODUCING BEET SUGAR. 277 

Some inventors aim to top the beet and tlien jnill it, while others 
maintain that the beet must be first pulled and then topped. If the 
beets are topped and afterwards pidled, there seems to be some (Hdi- 
culty about getting all of them out of the ground. On the other 
hand, if the beets are first pulled and then topped, considerable diffi- 
culty is experienced in topping them correctly, owing to the variation 
in the size of the beets and the difference in the length and size of the 
crowns. Several new harvesters are in the field this year (1906), and 
it is probabh' a question of only a few years when the harvester in the 
beet field will be as common as it is in the grain field. The cost of 
hand work in harvesting beets is from $5 to $8 per acre. It must be 
remembered that no machine annihilates the cost of any farming 
operation, but that a satisfactory beet harvester would greatly reduce 
the expense of harvesting the crop is evident. 

Transporting to factory. — Another important factor in the cost 
of producing the raw material is the expense involved in transporting 
the beets from the farm to the factory. If the field is located near the 
factory and the roads are level and well made the beets ma}^ be 
delivered at a minimum cost. As the distance from the factory 
increases, more time is consumed, and consequently the expense is 
increased. The importance of good roads can not -be overestimated. 
It frequently happens that the fall rains begin before the beets are 
delivered, and unless the roads are well made they are soon full of 
holes and ruts that make it impossible to ha: 1 more tlian half a load 
at a time, practically doubling the expense of delivering the crop. 
One effect of the sjgar-beet industry is the improvement of the coun- 
' try roads, and conversely the improvement of the country roads is an 
aid to the sugar-beet industry. 

Railroad facilities and rates pla}^ an important part in the cost of 
delivering the sugar-beet crop. Very few factories grow all their 
beets within hauling distance. The grower and sugar company are 
fortunate if the railroads so radiate from the vicinity of the factory 
that the beets growTi in a given community can be brought in over one 
line of road. It is often the case, however, that the cars must be sent 
over two or more roads, which necessarily increases the expense. It 
too often happens that there is an insufficient supply of cars at the 
time they are wanted or the cars furnished are not adapted to handling 
sugar beets; consequently considerable time is lost in loading and 
unloading the beets. All these things are adj ustlng themselves gradu- 
ally to the betterment of the industry through the j^ersistent efforts of 
those interested. 

Destroying weeds. — The improvement of farming methods has 
been mentioned as playing a significant part in sugar-beet growing. 
One point that should be emphasized in this connection is the impor- 
tance of destroying w^eeds. This work should not be confined to the 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



278 YEAEBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGE 

beet fields. Adjacent fields, roadsides, fence roV'""' Taci" c" 

should be watched and the weeds destroyed before uuej gu u*. 




KJ OtTXJVJL, 



It is not uncommon to find beet fields that are in fairly good condi- 
tion while the roadside just over the fence is full of weeds. Some of 
the seeds of these weeds will certainly be scattered by various agencies 
over the field and be ready for growth the next year. The destruc- 
tion of weeds for a single season will not always produce appreciable 
results, for the reason that a large number of weed seeds remain alive 
ia the ground for a number of years. Persistent efforts in destroying 
weeds, however, will result after a few years in greatly reducing the 
labor of keeping beet fields free from these pests. 

Siloing the beets. — Another expense that must be reckoned 
with under certain circumstances is that of siloing the beets. This 
becomes necessary when the beets must be harvested faster than 
they can be handled at the factory. It will be seen at once that 
siloing the beets necessitates an extra handling of the crop, since they 
must be reloaded into the wagons and hauled to the factory or dump- 
ing station. Inasmuch as siloing factory beets has not yet come into 
general practice in all of the beet-growing localities, a fair idea of the 
methods employed and labor involved may be gained by referring to 
Plate XIV, figure 2. In addition to the extra expense involved, which 
varies from 20 cents to $1 a ton, there is more or less shrinkage in weight 
due to evaporation. To avoid the expense and loss incident to siloing 
the beets an effort is being made by the Bureau of Plant Industry to 
lengthen the harvesting season by producing an early-maturing beet. 
It is hoped by this means to so distribute the ripening period that the 
factory will be able to handle the beets as soon as they are harvested. . 

SUMMARY. 

While the methods of cheapening the process of making beet sugar 
can not be adequately treated in a short article of this kind, the 
principal points to be aimed at may be summed up as follows : 

(1) Increasing the tonnage without mcreaskig cost of production. 

(2) Improving the quality of the beets without additional expense. 

(3) Improving the beet in size and quality, or both, at additional • 
expense, but in such ratio that the gain is greater than the outlay. 

(4) Providing a sufficient quantity of suitable labor at the proper 
time so that the beets may be kept growing without interruption. 

(5) Modifying the beet seed so as to render thinning unnecessary. 

(6) Modifying the beet so that siloing for the factory will not be 
necessary. 

(7) Devising machinery that will do away with hand labor. 

(8) Improving farming methods and operations so that less labor 
will be required to produce the crop. 

(9) Improving wagon roads and railroad facilities. ,|rJ,^,?.!\^Lii?iLii?°iw«i^ 

O 



002 685 780 6 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




Hallinger Corp. 
pH 8.5 



